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Charles R. Bardeen 
neous nerve from that of the branches of the femoral nerve, but occa- 
sionally it may have a more medial distribution. We may now pass to 
a consideration of the cutaneous branches of the femoral nerve arising 
beyond the inguinal ligament. 
3. Anterior and Medial Cutaneous Branches of the Femoral. 
The cutaneous branches of the femoral nerve to the thigh have been 
commonly divided by English and other anatomists into two groups, the 
“middle cutaneous” (nn. cutanei anteriores of Hénle) and the “in- 
ternal cutaneous” (nn. cutanei medii of Henle). It is not possible 
always to draw a sharp distinction between these two groups of nerves.” 
In the most common form of distribution (Plate VII, Fig. 1) two 
“anterior cutaneous” nerves, a lateral and a medial, arise in the upper 
part of Scarpa’s triangle. These branches descend in Scarpa’s triangle, 
pass to the medial side of or through the substance of the sartorius 
muscle, pierce the fascia lata over the upper third of the sartorius muscle 
and are distributed to the skin of the lower two-thirds of the front of 
the thigh. The lateral branch pierces the sartorius muscle more fre- 
quently than does the medial branch. In place of two branches there 
may be three or only one. The “ medial cutaneous ” nerves arise as rami 
from one or more branches of the femoral nerve. The rami usually pass 
outwards in the septum between the sartorius muscle and the adductor 
group of muscles. Sometimes one or more of the rami pass through the 
substance of the sartorius muscle. The various rami supply the skin 
of the medial surface of the thigh and the more distal usually extend 
to the knee and join the saphenous and obturator nerves in supplying 
the medial side of the knee and upper part of the medial side of the 
back of the leg. There is great variation in the number and distribu- 
tion of these rami of the “ medial cutaneous” nerves. In two instances 
out of 80 a medial cutaneous nerve sent a branch as far as the ankle, 
parallel with the saphenous nerve. 
Frequently the most proximal ramus of the medial cutaneous nerves 
on reaching the subcutaneous tissue, or even beneath the fascia lata turns 
back to take a course toward the region of distribution of the inguinal 
nerve (5 out of 80 instances). 
The great variation in the number and territory of distribution of the 
anterior and medial cutaneous nerves of the thigh makes their statistical 
study both difficult and unsatisfactory. They vary in extent of distri- 
bution inversely with the lumbo-inguinal, lateral cutaneous, saphenous 
“In the B. N. A. but one set of nerves is recognized, the nn cutanet 
anteriores. We shall here, however, adopt the Henle terms. 
